


Humanish

by DigiAndromeda



Series: TMNT Humanish [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, TMNT AU, humanish au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 23:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6260101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigiAndromeda/pseuds/DigiAndromeda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hamato Yoshi nearly lost everything to Shredder; everything but his life and daughter. He fled to New York City hoping to start life anew, however, a freak accident mutates him and his new pet turtles, changing his and his daughters' life forever. 15 years later the almost completely human turtles use their ninja skills to prevent a mass kidnapping, saving a young red haired girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arc 1(Ch 1)- Watching over April

**Author's Note:**

> Humanish started as doodle of what i thought the turtles would look as humans and kinda exploded from there. updates will be slow, painfully slow, but i will do my best to keep this going. i've put a lot of thought into this AU so i have plenty to work with, it's just finding the time and motivation to write. but here we go!!

Standing on the roof of a building across from Roosevelt High School, Leo watched as two teen girls walked out of the schools double doors and down the street. One girl was dressed in gothic fashion with a black sleeveless shirt, a purpled plaid mini skirt, and black combat boots. She wore thick dark purple glasses and had purple and black striped hair that was cut in a strange bob, short in the back and longer in the front. He had learned this morning that this girl was named Irma.

The other girl was dressed a bit more averagely. A yellow tank top and denim shorts with black knee high socks and yellow sneakers. Her hair was an unusual shade of reddish pink and was combed into a braid which hung over her right shoulder, while her long curly bangs were swept to the right. This was the one he had been waiting for. Her name was April and he was worried about her.

Out of all the kidnapped people, out of all the robots and mutants, out of any living thing that had been at the fight last night, she had been the only one to get covered by mutagen. And he had been right next to her.

 - - -

_She had tripped and the kidnappers had tried to reclaim her. He wouldn’t have it; he ran to her side and sliced one of the robots in two. He grabbed her arm, intending to help her up but two more robots converged on them.  He turned to face them and in that moment a canister of mutagen came flying out of nowhere and smashed at her feet, covering her with its green goop. For one breath taking moment time seemed to stand still as realization dawned on him. Then, as quickly as he could, he sliced the robots and turned toward her again._

_Giving her a quick once over he pulled her to her feet and pushed her into the ally, placing one of Donnie’s’ trackers on the back of her shirt. After that he had returned to the fight and helped his brothers defeat the monstrous black mutant as well as the remaining robots._

_After the fight he used his T-phone to track the girl. He had to make sure she was alright, she didn’t mutate after getting covered by the mutagen but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t mutate at all. He followed the tracker to her apartment and hid on the fire escape, perfectly blending into the shadows. He took a moment to listen and observes his surroundings. The building was still in one piece, which hopefully meant she hadn’t mutated._

_Looking at the window next to him he had been greeted by dark blue striped curtains and silence. Using a mini Parabolic Microphone (curtesy of Donnie) he learned that the girl, whose name was April, was okay and that the family had contacted the police. He also learned that the only sign of physical change had been her hair color. Earlier she had been a natural red head but know it was more pinkish. She had been completely baffled by it while he had chalked that up to the mutagen and hoped that that had been the only change._

_After she had gone to bed, he returned home and Raph explained what happen with the mutagen. The robots released a giant mutant and it had sent one of the vans hurtling past him with the mutagen canisters falling out of it as it went by. With that mystery solved he had gone to bed._

_The next morning he returned to April’s apartment, planning to watch over her throughout the day. The chances of her physically mutating where now low but there was no guarantee that nothing hadn’t changed in her or maybe the mutation might be like their father’s, temporary and only triggered by certain events. They decided to watch over her in case something bad happened and since he felt responsible for not stopping the canister, he volunteered._

_Watching her throughout the day proved very informative and he learned that something other than her hair did indeed change. She seemed to be able to sense him and was constantly looking over her shoulders, (of course she never saw him). He had overheard her telling Irma that she could somehow feel the emotions of people around her and that worried him._

It would be best if Donnie took a look at her, _he had thought but the question was how. He and his brothers might look human but they weren’t. If word got out about what they were they could very well end up as lab rats somewhere, and that was something he would make sure never happened._

_But the girl had mutated. It wasn’t a physical mutation but she had mutated and there was no telling if she was stable or not. Should he take the risk and help her or should he do nothing, and run the risk of her possibly hurting herself and those around her?_

_\- - -_

Those thoughts had plagued him all day. The moment he and his brothers decided to stop the kidnappers they became responsible for the girl’s safety. Responsibility and honor demanded he take care of her and help her but doubt comanded he didn’t trust her.

He watched from afar as April and Irma walked home. It seemed that while April lived in a safer neighborhood, Irma wasn’t so lucky. The thug he spotted following them attested to that. He quickly scaled down the building and joined the flow of pedestrian traffic, fully intending to neutralize the thug before he got to the girls. However before he could get close to him April grabbed Irma’s arm and bolted.

The thug ran after them and Leo after him but the thug was closer to them and cornered them in an ally when April took a wrong turn. Leo ran into the ally just in time to see the thug punch April. Something snapped inside Leo, and with the speed only a ninja could master, he was on the guy before April hit the ground.

“HEY!” The thug didn’t even have the chance to turn around before Leo’s fist connected with the back of the man’s Jaw, sending him staggering backwards. The thugs arm flew towards Leo but he dodged and punched the guy square in the face. The man crumpled to the ground, clutched at his bleeding nose, and glared up at Leo.

“You basta-” the thug began to curse but was cut off when Leo slammed his hand on the back of the guy’s neck, knocking him out. Leo looked at the two girls’ in front of him, both shaken and frightened. He was keenly aware of April’s eyes on him and inwardly sighed as he then moved to help April up.

“Are you two ok?” He asked as he helped April too her feet.

_Looks like responsibility and honor are winning._

_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and it begins! i remember having a hard time writing this, so if things fell a little wonky, it's just me figuring out the characters and my writing style. please enjoy and critic if you see an area i need improvement in. :D


	2. Arc 1(Ch 2)- Meeting Leo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do i have to do disclaimers here? i forgot to do one in the first chapter O.o  
> Disclaimer: TMNT i do not own.

April watched as the thug fell to ground, nose broken and bleeding. The thug held his nose and glared up at the teenager who had just punched him.

“You basta-” the thug began to curse but was cut off when the teen slammed his hand on the back of the guy’s neck, knocking him out.

“You two ok?” the teen asked. He moved over to April and held out his hand. As she accepted his hand she finally got a good look at him. He was of Japanese descent with slanted blue eyes and pale skin. His straight black hair was long, going past his shoulders and held out of his face by a thin blue headband. His navy blue sweater was old and faded while both his jeans and black shoes had seen better days.

He lifted her to her feet then took a look at her swollen eye. He grimaced and gave an apologetic smile.

“You should probably find some ice for that.” He stated the obvious then turned to Irma. “You ok?”

“Y-yes.” Irma started a little, and then regained her composure. “Thanks for the help.”

April looked at the teen and frowned. There it was again, that strange feeling. **_Apprehension, nervousness, unease._** She could sense these feelings but she knew they weren’t hers. Ever since the night before, when that strange canister fell on her, she’d been having these odd feelings. Or to be more accurate, she could feel what the people around were feeling. It had taken her all day to figure this out but there was one thing she hadn’t been able to piece together. There was a certain mix of emotions that had followed her throughout the day and she couldn’t find who they belonged to… until now.

“You…it was you,” she muttered. The teen turned to look at her. **_Fear and unease._** His face showed no emotion but she could feel them. He knew he had been caught. “You’ve been the one following me!”

He looked at the thug as the man groaned.

“This isn’t the best place to talk.” He turned around and started to walk away.

“Hey! Wait!” she followed after him.

“April?” Irma followed her, bewildered until April turned around.

“Sorry, Irma, you head home ok? I’ll see you tomorrow!” the teen had picked up his pace and April jogged to catch up with him.

“Why have you been following me?” she asked crossly.

“To make sure you where ok.” He answered. **_Worry and concern_**. He was telling the truth.

“Make sure I was ok? What are yo-” she cut herself off as realization downed on her and memories from the night before flooded back.

-    -    -

_“Hurry! Out of the van!”  Someone opened the vans doors and everyone bolted for them._

_“This way! Get away from them!” she tried to make it into the ally but she tripped over a robotic hand. A strong hand grabbed her, seeking to help her up._

_“Watch out! Stay away from those canisters!” A strange glowing object flew towards her and shattered at her feet, its contents splattering all over her._

_“They got Laser guns?! You have got to be kidding me!” Purple light buzzed around her._

_“Can you stand?” the hand helped her up and pushed her towards the ally. She ran and didn’t look back._

-    -    -

“You… you where one of the guys who rescued us…” she stared at him in disbelief. He gave her a small smile.

“To be more accurate, I was the one who pushed you into the ally… and the one who failed to protect you.” His smiled faded. **_Guilt, regret, sorrow._**   She gave him a confused look.

“What are you talking about? You prevented me and the others from being kidnapped!”

“I know but the mutagen still hit you.” He said sadly. She could feel the waves of **_Sadness_** rolling off him.

“Mutagen? You mean that green goop? You know what that stuff is?” she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her. “I’ve been feeling some pretty weird stuff all day, and you knew that would happen didn’t you?” She leveled him with a glare. **_Anxiety and Guilt._** He closed his eyes and sighed.

“Yes… and no.” he replied. “We’ve seen what the mutagen can do, and based off that, we believe that different scientist experiment with it in different ways, meaning there’s more than one type of mutagen and each type can do different things… In other words, yes I knew something would happen to you and no, I didn’t know what it would be.” He looked her in the eyes, laying the truth out for her.

“So… you decided to watch me in case… something bad would happen?” she ventured a guess.

“Yes, I wasn’t able to prevent you from getting hit. The least I could do was make sure…” he trailed off then began again. “Take responsibility for it.” There they were again, the feelings of **_Apprehension, guilt, and worry._**

“Something… really bad could have happened to me, huh?” she quietly asked and the boy gave her a sad but serious look.

“Yes. That thing they sicked on us last night? My brother tested its DNA; it used to be a Chihuahua …”

April suddenly felt weak; she could feel the color drain from her face as she remembered the giant, hideous, black abomination that had burst from one of the vans. The boy took her arm and led her to a nearby bench. They both sat down and remained silent as April digested everything the boy had told her.

Then she turned and looked at him.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Leo and I think my brother can help you.” He gave her a small smile. “At the very least he can make sure you don’t turn into a demonic puppy.”

“Oooh, very funny.” She huffed out a dry laugh. “And how do you know all about this?”

“…” he was silent for a while, his gaze never leaving her. **_Uncertainty, caution, doubt, and fear._** She didn’t have to feel his emotions to know that he was sizing her up, deciding whether or not to trust her. She could see the first three in his eyes but the last one was well hidden, if she didn’t have this strange ability she wouldn’t have been able to tell he was scared. But of what?

Finally he sighed.

“We came across the mutagen when we were small but it wasn’t until last night that we came across it again.” He leaned back but April could tell he was still watching her from the corner of his eye. “The symbol on the van was the same one that was on the mutagens canister back then, so we followed the van and saw them kidnap someone.”

“That’s when you attacked them?” she asked.

“Yep.”

“If… I remember correctly you had weapons, and where using karate moves or something, right?”

“Or something.” He confirmed. “You remember a lot for someone who should have been in shock.”

“I’ve got an eye for detail.” She gave him a wary smile. “So, freaky mutated puppies, kidnapping robots, strange new powers, and teenage boys who use real weapons and kick butt. This week can’t get any stranger.” She looked at the sky in exasperation, then saw a mischievous smile spread across Leos’ face. “I shouldn’t have said that…”

“You should never tempt fate.” He stood up and reached out a hand to help her stand. “My brother will want to take a look at you.”

Once again April could feel the emotions coming from Leo. **_Nervousness, weariness, fear, concern, and Hope._** He was both worried for and about her. He was expecting something bad to happen but was hoping for something good to happen. She took his hand.

“I _know_ I can trust you. I can feel it. But you aren’t sure that you can trust me…” he helped her stand up and she continued to hold his hand. “But you’re willing to take a risk to help me.” She gave him a big smile. “Thank you, Leo, it’s a please to meet you. My name is April O’Neil.” They shock hands then began to walk, Leo leading and April following.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slowly but surely my writing will improve! :D also i like flash backs. a lot. i'll try to avoid using them to much XD oh before i forget, Hamato Miwa and Karai are to different people in this AU.


	3. Arc 1(Ch 3) - The Lair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: i no own TMNT :(

Blindfolded and cold, April wondered just where Leo was taking her. He said something about his brother taking a look at her and that, to be safe, he was going to blindfold her.

 He had taken her to central park and, after placing a blue handkerchief over her eyes, started to lead her about. She knew he was taking the scenic route, going in circles to confuse her and make sure she wouldn’t find her way back. She was finding herself more and more glad that she could feel his emotions. It was the only thing that made, what would have been, a worrying situation, ok.

He led her about for a few more minutes, then had her stand still while he… moved something? She could hear the sound of metal grinding against more metal and cement. Then, when the noise stopped, he pulled her over a few more feet.

“Ok… this part might be a bit…hm… can you climb with your eyes closed?”

“…why?” she didn’t like the way that sounded.

“This time of the day Donnie, my brother, is at his lab and unfortunately… it’s not at street level.”

“Not… street level?” _Where is he taking me?!_ She shouted internally.

“Yep. Not street level. You’ll need to climb down the ladder in front of you.” Both the sound of his voice and the emotions he was emitting were telling her the same thing; he felt bad about forcing her to climb blindfolded but still found the situation amusing. _He’s a bit of a troll, isn’t he?_

“…How far down?” she asked wearily.

“Not too far… About one story deep. I’ll help you get onto the ladder.” He had her crouch down, then lead her hands to the ladder. Once she had her hands on it, she was able to slowly shift the rest of her body onto it and began climbing down.

Above her head she heard the sound of metal scrapping about again and then the sound of Leo’s feet clanking against the ladder.

“Almost there, the ground is about five steps below you.” His voice rang out around her. Once her foot touched ground she took a step back to make room for him.

“Uhg… what is that smell?” April pinched her nose, a feeling of dread washing over her. “Where are we? Please tell me we’re not in the sewers.”

“OK.” Leo’s voice and emotions quivered with **_Amusement_**.

“Great. Just great. Why in the world does your brother have a lab in the sewers?” Leo gently grabbed her hand and started leading her again.

“It’s… a long story.” **_Uncertainty, fear, unease._** He still wasn’t certain about trusting her.

“You said you came across mutagen when you were little, right? Does… it have to do with that?” April felt his emotions intensify for a moment then immediately calm down.

  _Bingo…_ she thought.

“…yeah.” Was the only reply he gave. The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

Leo’s **_nervousness_** grew with each step and the feeling of **_apprehension_** also began to grow in him. April furrowed her brows in thought. _Is he going to get in trouble for bringing me to the lab?_

\- - -

About ten minutes had passed before Leo stopped and spoke again.

“We’re here.” He said as he removed the blindfold.

Light hit April’s eye full force and she squinted against it as she blinked them open. It wasn’t long before her eyes adjusted and she found herself staring at a subway entrance. She raised an eyebrow as she looked around. The tracks were old and obviously unused, and the walls looked like they could fall at any minute.

On the wall right of the entrance was a skateboard rack, filled with 3 skateboards, a pair of roller blades, and old _Razer_ scooter. On the left side of the entrance was a closed garage door covered in graffiti of trees covered with pink flowers, which looked like it belonged on an old Japanese art scroll.

April blinked, rubbed her eyes and blinked again.

“Why is there a garage door down here? With… Sakura trees?”

Leo chuckled as he walked up the curved steps and into the subway.

“My youngest brother thought the place needed a brighter atmosphere.” He shrugged. “Plus my father and sister love Sakura blossoms.” He motioned for her to follow and she walked up the 3 steps into… a not so subway-like subway station.

Directly in front of her, in the middle of the ‘room’ was an area that was lower than the floor. Old couches lined the front, back, and left side of the floor-alcove ( _Was that the right word for it?_ ) and on the left was an old flat screen TV while the middle was layered with comic books, text books, and a couple of bean bags. There was even someone sleeping on the middle couch, covered head to toe with an orange _Gudetama_ no-sew blanket.

She stared a bit wide eye at the room before her.

“I’m not sure what I was expecting but this wasn’t it… I thought you said lab?” she looked at Leo.

He gave her a **_bemused_** look that mirrored his emotions. _Looks like his nerves have calmed down a little…_

“I did say lab.” He pointed to their left at a set of double doors. “Remember the garage? That’s his lab.” He turned and walked towards the closed doors, which had cartoony explosions painted all over them with the words ‘beware’, ‘danger’, ‘don’t touch anything Mikey!’ and ‘bewarb’ on it.

April gulped nervously as she followed Leo. Not sure what to expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll add a picture/map of the Lair once i (find and) scan it. also, i don't have a prof-reader (beta reader?) for this so if you see any spelling or grammar errors i apologize.


	4. Arc 1 (Ch 4)- Meeting Donnie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, this is the last of the main chapters i have written, from here on out expect slooooow updates.  
> Disclaimer: If i owned TMNT there'd be more slapstick humor.

Donnie stared at April like she had 3 heads, not quit seeming to process what Leo just told him. His brown eyes where fixated on her. Almost as if she was the first girl he ever seen.

“Donnie? You ok?” Leo placed a hand on his taller brother’s shoulder. Donnie’s head whipped around so fast that his short ponytail came loose. His brown hair was just shoulder length and his bangs, which parted on his left, framed his face. A face that gave Leo the ‘ARE YOU INSANE!’ look. The tall teens’ frown deepened as Donnie grabbed Leo by his shoulders.

                “I know I said I wanted to take a look at her but I didn’t think you’d actually bring her!” he whispered into Leos face.

Leo gave his younger brother a ‘really’ look before turning back to April. She had the guiltiest look on her face and Leo didn’t need to be a genius to know she was blaming herself for potentially getting him in trouble. Leo looked back up at Donnie.

“Donnie… she can tell what you’re thinking.” He said with a small smirk.

“What?!” the taller teen jumped a little as he turned towards April. April fidgeted under his gaze as it went from shock to analyzing. “Is that true? Can you really tell what I’m thinking?”

Leo gave Donnie a lop-sided smirk. _Looks like Donnie’s going into doctor mode._

“Kinda? It’s more like I can tell what you’re feeling. Like if you’re happy or sad.” April answered, and then looked up at Donnie, finally looking at him. She gaped a little at how tall he was and Leo laughed, she barely came up to his shoulders. Despite being the second youngest, Donnie was the tallest of the five siblings, dwarfed only by their father and just barely beating their sister. The semi-tight light purple tracksuit only made him look taller.

“What?” Donnie gave Leo a funny look.

“Nothing, just do your thing Donnie. We have to make sure we know how bad the mutagen damaged her.” Leo walked past Donnie and patted April’s shoulder. “Donnie’s a genius, both scientifically and medically. He’ll have things figured out in no time.”

“While I appreciate the compliment, please don’t make promises I might not be able to keep.” Donnie sighed as his older brother walked towards the door.

“You found out that mutant used to be a chiwawa.” Leo opened the door.

“Yeah bu-” Donnie started but was cut off.

“The evidence is undeniable. You’re amazing Donnie. Just don’t get distracted by the pretty _Nee-san_.”

“LEO!!”

\- - -

April watched as Leo left, unsure of how to feel about the taller boy standing in front of her. Said boy let out a huff and spun on his heels, pinning her with a scrutinizing gaze. **_Worry, curiosity, awe._**

Donnie looked her up and down before nodding his head. **_Certainty and confidence._** He walked over to the back of the room, opposite the garage door, and sat at a desk.

“Do you mind coming over here for a moment?” he asked as he began typing on his (old box shaped) computer.

“Sure?”  April walked over and stood by the desks side.

“Here,” Donnie finished typing and stood up, moving the black computer chair over to her. “Have a seat and wait here while I grab some things.” He walked towards a sink in the corner of the room.

“Okay…” April did as instructed and was surprised at how comfy and big the chair was.

“I’m afraid I’ll need to take a small blood sample…” The teen said as he pulled out some equipment out from under the sink. “I’ll give you a general checkup, like they do at the doctor’s office, but to really know how badly you’ve been mutated I’ll…” he trailed off as he walked back to April with doctor’s equipment in hand. **_Unease, fear, uncertainty._**

 _He doesn’t want to hurt me._ April realized. _He won’t do anything unless I give him permission, will he?_

“You’ll need some blood samples?”

“Yes but I’ve done it before!” He exclaimed. “I check Leo and the others blood yearly.”

“You do? But why?” confusion covered Aprils face.

“We can’t afford the doctors bill.” Donnie said quickly and matter-a-factly. **_Unease._**

_That’s only half the truth…_

Donnie placed everything on the table and began the checkup. First he checked her blood presser and then her breathing, then he checked for a fever. Next he checked her eyes and ears, even her reflexes. It was just like he said; exactly like a visit to her regular doctor.

The close proximity to the taller teen gave her a batter view of his face. He had the same Japanese features as his brother but had wider redish-brown eyes and a charming gap in his top front teeth. His skin was also paler then Leo’s.

Eventually, it came time to draw blood (which she gave him permission to do) he did it quickly and even more efficiently then the professional nurses had ever done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll add Donnie's Bio pic when i finish coloring it. i burnt out while working on it. (i changed styles and decided to do flat colors on the rest of the bios. which is why April's Bio looks different in ch 1).

**Author's Note:**

> i hopped you enjoyed! for more art and info on Humanish go here: http://digiandromeda.tumblr.com/TMNTHumanish


End file.
